5 MYTHS ABOUT STARTING OR OWNING A BUSINESS DEBUNKED

Entrepreneurs play a considerable role in the U.S. economy, with small businesses responsible for more than 60 percent of the nation's net new jobs since 1995. More than a half-million new businesses start up each month, although the number of companies that fail each month is even higher.

If I were to advise the starry-eyed entrepreneurs-to-be out there, I'd have them explain their expectations and concerns because misconceptions about what it's really like to start and grow a business are typical. 

Myth #1: It will be easy starting or owning a business

This may sound ridiculous, but it's not. Look around at those whom you know. Many of your most successful friends and colleagues will have started businesses. Entrepreneurship is in Americans' DNA. With so many people of varying backgrounds succeeding in business ownership, how hard can it be, right? 

While starting a new business can be incredibly rewarding, it also can be exceedingly stressful and time-consuming. Most of us have never had to rely on ourselves to make a living. When you start a business, you can't pay your bills unless you sell something, whether it's an object or a service. Taking that plunge from the comfort of a regular paycheck into self-employment uncertainty can be daunting and may cause financial and marital stress. Make sure you're prepared for what you're about to endure. 

Myth #2: The money will come flowing in starting or owning a business

The IRS assumes new businesses won't turn a profit for several years. If the IRS makes this assumption about the amount of taxes it expects new companies to generate, you should, too. You'll likely spend your first months taking meetings and trying to sell, sell, sell. Unless you make immediate sales, this will take you away from what your business does. This means you'll have less of whatever your business does. It's a difficult circle to get out of, but one that many business owners face initially. 

Myth #2.A: You'll have more free time starting or owning a business

This one is similar to the second entry. You may have worked a lot before, but to make your new venture succeeds, you'll have to work as much or more. And you'll have to be more intelligent about how you work and divide your time because every minute you spend doing something other than growing your business is potentially costing you money. 

Myth #3: You'll never have a boss again starting or owning a business

While this one is technically true, your clients/customers become your boss. You may not have to clock in any longer or sit through annual reviews, but the prospect of losing a large account with nothing to replace it is lessened when you work for someone else. Established firms have weathered these rites of passage and have prospered, or they wouldn't continue to be in business. So think before you take the plunge. Is not having a boss more important than the sense of security you have when someone else is signing your paycheck? 

Myth #4: You can just wing it starting or owning a business

Being able to think on your feet can be useful in some industries -- theatre, journalism, and sales, for example -- but to be an entrepreneur, you must have your line of work down cold, or you're likely to make a challenging time even more so. If you design websites, you'll either need to know how to create them or know someone who can do it for you; otherwise, you risk being in over your head from the start and placing doubts in your clients' minds. You can avoid this by being well-versed in your field before trying to convince someone to support your new endeavor.

Myth #5: Build it and they will come when you start or own a business

Build it, and they will come is one of the biggest myths every business owner discovers quickly.

Only in Hollywood, like the movie Field of Dreams, has this ever happened. Starting a business is hard work!

It seemed like yesterday when I founded my first company, yet it was over two decades ago that I launched my first company. I remember thinking how easy it would be that all of my friends, family, neighbors, and more would be one hundred percent supportive in sharing what I do with their friends, family, and neighbors. Reality check! No one cares but you.

Growing a business is hard. But you don't have to do it alone. We can help you!

Despite the challenges, if you feel like you're ready to be an entrepreneur, do it! I've done it for over two decades and wouldn't change any of it. Just be prepared for things to be different from those on TV or hear about others' achievements. These stories often gloss over the details, and it's the day-to-day hustle that results in success.

How Do You Hire the Right Marketing Professional for Your Small Business?

You know your business. You have a product or service that you’re proud of and that you believe is useful. But how do you get it in front of people? How do you take your product and make it a marketable commodity?

Here’s how: Small-business owners can get their organizations in front of potential customers by hiring outsourced marketing and freelance professionals to optimize their marketing strategies. But where do you find these people, and what do you look for?

Post an ad online

Hiring a freelance marketer can help you turn your focus to making your product better and truly managing your business well. You know your business — but a freelancer will know how to take advantage of online trends, social media, and digital marketing tactics to increase sales and better define your brand.

Where else can you turn when you don’t know where to find someone? The internet, of course. Sites like Upwork and Freelanced offer opportunities for freelance marketers to advertise their services, and you can find individuals who have the necessary skills specific to your marketing needs. You can also work with these professionals on a per-contract basis, allowing you to hire them only for the job you need to accomplish.

Focus on key skills

When searching for the right professional to help your business climb to the next rung on the ladder of success, there are a few critical skills your new marketing employee will need. For instance, they will need to know what metrics to focus on, how to create an online brand, and how to use social media effectively to drive traffic to your site. A knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is also key, as 93 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine.

Small businesses use several marketing channels to grow and increase visibility: Website, digital marketing, social media, mobile applications, and public relations are all viable ways to grow your business. This means you will need to hire a freelance marketing professional who is familiar with all of these channels in order to optimize your business. And, just as a bonus, make sure you hire someone who has effective communication skills — both written and verbal.

Look into managed services

An alternative to hiring freelance workers would be to invest in managed services. This includes activities that you can hire out to organizations so that you can focus more on the actual business that you’re running. Managed services can include things like payroll, tax preparation, and financial consulting, or other technology-based functions like website hosting and information management. Business coaching is another service you should look into as a small-business owner. Experts like the ones at Michael D. Morrison Enterprises, LLC., can help you set specific goals — and then achieve them.

Online filing services may also be of use. For instance, forming a limited liability company (LLC) could be one option to explore, as it provides some tax advantages, more flexibility, and less paperwork. An LLC designation also provides some protection for your personal assets in the event that the business were to experience financial or legal trouble. Look into using an online formation service for this, as you can avoid hefty lawyer fees, but make sure you look into your state regulations before filing, as they can vary based on location.

Go forth and create your own success

These are only a few of the skills that you as a small-business owner need to look for in your marketing team, and a few ways to get the right person in the job.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Business coaching could be just the thing your company has been missing. Contact the experts at Michael D. Morrison Enterprises, LLC today!

10 Ways to Increase Sales During Business Development

You have started your business, and now it's time to hit the ground running! Those initial sales will be vital to growing your business—but what are the best ways to get there?

Of course, we want to do anything and everything to bring in sales. But on a finite amount of time and energy, you'll want to focus on what is the most effective.

Sales are about a relationship with the customer. By using these strategies, you can increase sales and build a customer base that will last.

1. Understand Your Customer

It may seem basic, but you need to know who your customer is. Ask yourself questions about your potential customers:

• What is their pain point?

• What will motivate them to buy?

• How will they find you?

• What do they need to make a decision?

By answering these questions and anything else relevant to your industry, you can make sure that your customers will be receptive to your messaging. Use this information to your advantage.

When you identify your customer, you can also clarify who isn't your customer. Don't focus on these—move on. They are not your customers, and you should not waste your resources on chasing them.  

2. Identify What Sets You Apart

With a quick search, customers can find almost anything online. Why should they choose you?

You should be very clear about what sets you apart from your competition—and be able to articulate it. From your website to sales calls, you want your customers to know who you are and why you are different.

Spend some time learning about your competitors. What are their weaknesses? Figure out how to turn their weaknesses into your strengths.

3. Put the Customer at Ease

The customer is investing in you. The more you can put their minds at ease, the more quickly you can turn a "maybe" into a "yes."

If you have customer testimonials or reviews, use them. Develop case studies or success stories. You want your customers to see that "other people have been in their shoes," and you were able to help solve a problem.

Assure your customers that they will be satisfied with your product and service. If you offer a guarantee or refund, make sure the customer knows it. It shows that you stand by your products.

4. Ask Questions

...and listen. The more you know about the customer, the more you will be able to position yourself and the value you bring.

Often, salespeople get caught up in wanting to show every detail and how every problem can be solved... without listening to the customers and the specific problem. By asking the right questions, you can show how you are the solution.

5. Share Information and Content

You may find that you don't want to "give away too much," but information is everything in today's world. The more accessible you can make yourself and your brand, the more the customers will feel like they know you.

Your digital marketing strategy should include both content marketing and social media. Meet your customers where they are, and provide them with material that they will find useful. Allow them to engage with you—and embrace it.

All of this is about building the relationship and positioning yourself in the marketplace.

6. Assume You Have Won the Business

You will want to frame your questions as if the sale has already happened. Don't ask if they would like to buy your product or service, but how they see themselves using it.  

Assume your prospective customers have done some research in advance. Unless you used cold calling, the customer likely has already been on your website or done some initial digging. They made a choice to continue looking at you as a solution.

By assuming you have already won the business in your conversations, it shows your confidence in the sale and helps to build the relationship.

7. Be Prepared to Overcome Objections

Now comes the tricky part of the sales process: overcoming objections. Customers always want it all: the best price, the best quality, and the best service.  

The more prepared you are to answer the objections, the more you can increase your sales. If you get stuck, you may find yourself losing a lot of potential business.  

Instead of being frustrated by objections, think of them as a request for more information. The more you know about the reasoning behind the objection, the better you can address them.

Here are some examples of common objections.

Example #1: Too Expensive

An objection to cost is where you will need to convince the customer of your value. If you have an ROI example, share that information. Or make the customer aware of the high quality of service that will be received.

It helps to dig into the objection of "too expensive." Expensive compared to what? Sometimes customers throw cost out there in the hopes of negotiating, so press the customers on what "too expensive" means to them.

Example #2: Product/Service Doesn't Meet Needs

You want your customers to see themselves with your product/service. This is where the "assume the sale" strategy comes into play and also "ask questions and listen."

Sometimes, customers may not think the product/service meets their needs, but they have not articulated their pain points well or need you to clarify what you can offer as a solution. Provide examples from other customers that have been in similar situations.

Example #3: Unsure of Change

People don't like change, and perhaps your prospective customers are hesitant to make a change. If the investment is a large one, they may be even more reluctant.

Here is where you can point to success stories from other customers or reviews. Help the prospect see that other satisfied customers made the change, and they saw an improvement and results.

Example #4: Unsure of the Relationship

This is a nice way of saying "lack of trust." Maybe the customer is not familiar with your company and your brand. Maybe this is where your competitors have an advantage.

This is also where testimonials and reviews can help, but you will also want to establish yourself as an authority. The content that you share as part of your digital marketing strategy should help you here. You want the customer to trust that you know the industry and can deliver.

Example #5: Lack of Urgency

Timing is always an issue, and the customer may not see a need for a purchase right now.

You can attempt to force more interest with promotions or limited time offers to make a deal seem too good to pass up. You'll want to do this in such a way that you don't devalue your brand too much.

The information that you learn about your customer may also help you identify certain patterns or cycles to your sales. Are customers more likely to buy at a specific time of year (as an example)?

Ultimately, you want to have a good follow-up process in place so that if "not now, maybe later" comes up, you can catch the customers when they are ready to buy. Whether it is email campaigns or phone calls, you want to be sure you are on their minds.

8. Push for a Decision

One of the worst things for a sale is indecision. You may be spinning your wheels on a "maybe."

Keep asking questions, and try to force a decision out of the customer. Even if the answer is "no," then at least you can move on with life.

You don't have to directly ask, "Are you going to buy?" Instead, you can ask, "Are you ready to make a decision?" If not, you need to figure out what other information you need to provide or determine if the customer will be stuck in indecision forever.

9. Never Over-Promise

The phrase "over-promise and under-deliver"? It probably goes without saying: don't do that.

In selling yourself, you need to ensure that you can deliver on what is promised. Better yet—you want to exceed the customer's expectations.

Unhappy customers will lead to refunds, bad reviews, and short relationships. None of these will lead to growth in your business.

10. Have Your Negotiation Skills Ready

Your customer is ready for "The Close." Some salespeople thrive on the art of negotiation, while others shy away from it.

The best thing you can be is prepared. Continue to ask questions throughout the negotiation process and be patient. Try to get the customer to commit to a timeline to close.

When customers have decided to buy, they have formed some attachment to what is being sold. They can see themselves using the product or service. Use this to your advantage without pushing too hard.

Use These Strategies to Increase Sales

Now that you have some strategies to grow your business, you can set some goals for sales. Your plan for success will depend on implementing the sales strategies that make the most sense for your company.

Are you ready to put your plan into action and increase sales? Book a discovery call with Michael Morrison today.

Business Coaching: What It Is and Why You Need It

If you have just launched your own company, you are probably juggling a million different responsibilities at once. As CEO you are not only in charge of the company's vision but its financials, hiring, marketing, and operations.

It is extremely difficult to excel in all of these areas. It's also hard to learn how to delegate, lead, and manage. 

Business coaching is a great way for new company leaders to handle the myriad duties required. Even the boss needs a coach in his corner from time to time! 

Here are ten reasons why you may benefit from consulting a business coach.

1. Set Specific Goals

When you are caught up in the excitement of a company launch, it is easy to lose sight of your initial objectives. Often your overall goals get forgotten in the whirlwind of making sure you have accomplished everything on your to-do list. 

Companies succeed when they keep a clear eye upon the prize. They articulate their goal for their product or service, and how they expect to achieve it.

 A business coach can help you set specific goals that you can remember throughout the process to keep your eye on the ball. They can help you create long and short--term plans that accomplish long and short term objectives.

For example, your overall goal could be something like: to deliver top-quality educational books to regional school systems. Or, to provide clients with top-notch accounting services to companies making over $5 million or year.

When you have a specific mission, you will pause if you find yourself expanding into blackboards for schools, or spending a lot of time chasing a potential client that makes $500,000 per year.

Your business coach can also help you be realistic. While everyone wants to make a million bucks their first year in business, depending on your plan you might want to focus on earning enough to pay off your loans. Your coach can help you create goals for the first year, the fifth year,  and a ten year plan. (Then you can earn a million dollars!). 

2. Time Management 

One of the toughest things for company founders to learn is how to manage their time. As a company takes off, its leader may found herself drowning in email, overwhelmed by meetings, and floundering. 

When it is your company, you may feel responsible for everything. It's easy to start micromanaging.

Successful CEOs must learn a variety of skills they may never have mastered before. They must learn to hire reliable staff who can take tasks off their plate. They must research appropriate technology that can streamline processes.

CEOs that are overwhelmed and stressed tend to be less productive. They may alienate colleagues and make mistakes. 

A good business coach can help a new business leader learn ways to use his time more effectively. That means learning how to prioritize. It means learning how to say no. 

3. Build Better Habits 

It's easy to tell someone that they should not yell at their employees, but it is harder to teach them better ways to handle their stress. You may know in your heart that it is not doing your job or your family any good to stay at the office until midnight every night, but that doesn't mean you know how to change this habit.

A business coach will help you learn specific skills designed to make you a better leader and a more productive worker. You will learn how to do more in less time. You will learn tactics to help with brainstorming, boundaries, and incentivizing employees.

A business coach may also help you shift your bad habits to healthier ones, by encouraging you to leave your desk every few hours or by eating a healthy lunch.

Sometimes a business coach will provide in-depth insight into the root causes of your unproductive habits. Others may choose to give you simple easy tricks that help you stay on track. A good coach will find which approach works best for you.

You'd be surprised how much more effective you can be when you adopt better habits. That goes for your personal and professional lives. 

4. Metrics 

Another way a business coach can help you stay on track and be successful is by helping you define the metrics by which you will measure your own results. 

Will you be successful depending on the number of widgets you sell? The number of dollars you net?  Or how much your company is worth to a private equity firm? 

You want to know how to measure growth in a way that shows you when you are and are not on track. Your coach can show you how to align your metrics with your goals and how to review them regularly to see where you need to refocus or recalibrate.

5. Motivation  

It's lonely at the top.  It's hard to cut jobs, slash budgets, and discipline people when they do not do their jobs well.

It can also be hard to maintain a confident facade when the economy looks shaky, an investor pulls out, or a critical shipment is late. Sometimes you just may want to go into your office, put your head down on the desk, and cry.

A business coach can be the person you turn to when you don't want your employees to see you sweat. They can help calm your fears and show you the bigger picture.

They can also instruct you in ways to stay motivated. They understand the ups and downs of the market, and how human beings need to sometimes unplug, vent, or just let down their guard.

Like a sports coach, a business coach understands your frustrations and can help you channel them towards the win.

6. Leadership

Not everyone is a born leader. But leadership skills can be learned. Some people are naturally charismatic. But even if you are a more introverted type, you can inspire others to do their best. 

Whether you are outgoing or not, a business coach can help you identify certain traits you have that you can nurture to become a better leader.

Most leaders admit their mistakes and move on. They can be honest when they have tried something and it has not been successful. This kind of honesty and resilience is inspirational to others to do the same. 

Good leaders also listen to others and practice empathy. If these are not your strong suits,  a business coach can teach you ways to improve your listening skills so that the people who work for you feel they matter. 

Leaders are also not afraid to make bold decisions. If this is a terrifying concept for you, consider working with a business coach. He or she can help you increase your confidence and develop more ease with risk so you can do what needs to be done to grow your business. 

7. Accountability 

When you are the boss, you can take the day off and go water skiing whenever you want! You can revel in your success and take a break anytime.

It's important to be accountable to someone so that success doesn't go to your head.  Your colleagues may be hesitant to say anything if they see you slacking off or going on wild tangents.

A business coach is there to keep you on the straight and narrow. They are there to remind you of your goal and check in to see whether you are still focused on it.

By scheduling monthly meetings with a coach,  you are forced to be accountable.  You will have to report your progress and admit to where you have fallen short. You will find that accountability is a great motivator for getting things done and staying true to your objectives. 

It also requires that you judge your own actions clearly and honestly. Regular, honest self-assessment can propel you towards more effective leadership and productivity. 

8. People Skills

You may be a terrific engineer or inventor. You may be a whiz at finance and accounting. But without people skills, your business may suffer.

Every business requires others in order to thrive. Employees need to feel valued and appreciated. Clients want to know you understand their needs. Bankers want to know you know what you are doing.

A business coach can assist in improving your people skills so you can be more authoritative and approachable. They can help you "rehearse" difficult conversations so you are prepared. They can give tips on how to make employees appreciated and how to handle personal crises when they enter the workplace.

9. Networking

As a company leader, networking is a critical part of the job. You need to get to know potential clients, partners, government officials, and community leaders. You may have to attend council meetings, chamber of commerce events, and industry association get-togethers.

Networking can seem awkward and a waste of time. Let a business coach show you how to maximize your time at these events, and how to use your personality to your best advantage. 

10. Crisis Management 

Every company leader must at one time face a crisis. It could be an economic turndown, a lawsuit, or a disgruntled employee. 

How you handle a crisis could make or break your business. You need special training on how to maintain morale, handle publicity, and keep things going when things get rough. A business coach is well equipped to guide you through this challenging terrain.

Business Coaching: What You Need to Succeed

Business coaching can guide new and seasoned business leaders towards greater productivity and growth. They can advise on how to handle everything from employee or product complaints to crises of confidence to long term strategy. 

Everyone needs some help now and then. If you think you and your business could benefit from this kind of support, contact us for more information. 

15 Time Management Strategies and Tips You Need to Know

Managing your time wisely is a must, but let's be honest—it's not a very easy thing to do. 

We all wish there were more hours in the day, but that's not going to happen anytime soon…at least not for a few billion years. Many of us feel like we don't have enough time, but the good news is there's plenty we can do about it. 

Want to know how to manage time? Check out these great time management strategies. 

1. Create a List of Daily Tasks

First, begin each day by jotting down a list of tasks you wish to complete. 

If you want to learn how to manage time better, list-making is right up there at the top. Formulate a picture of what you want to accomplish before the end of the day, and then break that down into realistic milestones. 

Check off each item as you go, and watch the completed tasks pile up. 

2. Learn to Prioritize

Of course, writing a task-list in random order isn't going to cut it. 

This is where prioritization comes in. Emphasize the more important tasks first, and relegate the less important to the back of the list. 

Priority tasks are those that are more difficult to complete or come with a time limit. If necessary, disassemble these big tasks into smaller, incremental steps that are easier to complete. 

3. Set Time Limits

As time management strategies go, this is big. 

Leaving yourself an open-ended time period to complete a task is just asking for procrastination and time-wasting. Don't acquire this bad habit. 

Set firm but realistic goals for each of your tasks. By now, you should know about how long it might take you to perform a specific task. Try to finish your work within the designated timeframe, and keep aiming for faster finish times. 

4. Avoid Distractions

A major part of learning how to be better at time management is avoiding distractions. 

Sometimes, distractions are unavoidable. But let's be honest—you could do a better job eliminating some very avoidable ones. 

So use the "do not disturb" function on your phone or computer, don't go down the rabbit hole of reading junk articles on the internet, and turn off the TV. Distractions are your enemy—vanquish them! 

5. Avoid Multitasking

This is related to the above. Time management at work is difficult, and sometimes it's tempting to try to do several things at once. 

Sometimes, you don't have much of a choice. But try to pare down the multitasking as much as possible. Focus on one thing, do it well, and follow it through to completion. Then move to the next thing. 

Trying to do everything at once will only leave you with nothing accomplished. 

6. Time Management Apps Are Your Friend

This age of computers and digital devices comes with innumerable distractions. 

But there are also plenty of newfangled applications to help you focus and manage your time. Organizational apps like Trello and Toggl, and time managers like RescueTime and Remember The Milk help you organize your tasks and boost your productivity. 

7. Set Aside Time for Emails

Look, we all get caught up scrolling through the inbox, checking and responding to emails. Or we instantly respond to emails as they roll in. 

But this is another distraction, and if you can help it, set aside a chunk of time during the day for answering emails. Turning off email notifications would also help out. 

Either way, this is about prioritization (see #2). Designate certain times to check and respond to emails (in the morning, at lunchtime, and late afternoon), and ignore them the rest of the time (if you can). 

8. Perform Weekly Time Audits

Auditing your performance every week will help you track your progress and better understand your time management. 

Keep a record each day of how much time it takes you to complete your tasks. Then, at the end of the week, you can see how you've done. Look for those areas where you performed better than you thought, and find where you need some more work. 

9. Change up Your Schedule

Sometimes you need to shake things up a bit. 

If you find that you're still having trouble organizing your time, despite using various management tricks, you might consider a schedule change. Maybe you need to wake up earlier or focus on certain tasks in the morning and others in the afternoon. 

Change your routine every once in a while, and see if that helps out. After all, everyone gets into a rut sometimes. 

10. Always Have Backup Tasks

It's good to have a little ancillary list of low-priority, but still important tasks always on hand. 

The reason is that sometimes unforeseen circumstances insert a hard break in your main task routine. A computer program stalls, the network is down, or the internet has a meltdown. Could be you're waiting on someone else in order to complete your task, and they're not cooperating with your schedule. 

Whatever it is, it's always a good idea to have a few backup tasks that need to be done and that can fill up your wait-time. 

11. Organize Your Space

Time management strategies are always helped by efficient space management strategies. 

If your workspace is a sloppy mess, get in there and get organized. Put your desk in order, and remove all that clutter and those piles of papers that have been accumulating for at least a decade. 

The same goes for your digital space. Take the time to organize all the files and apps on your computer, and put your inbox in order by using all those handy folders and other organizational features. 

12. Use the Calendar!

A calendar is your friend. And it's also a great way to organize your tasks and manage your time. 

If you prefer the old, physical kind of calendar, then go nuts. Schedule tasks with differently colored pens and markers, fill it with Post-It notes, and do whatever else you need to organize your time. 

If you'd rather use the digital kind, avail yourself of all the many features. Set up reminders, devise schedules, and use alerts to keep you focused and on track. 

13. Don't Try to Be a Perfectionist

Obsessive perfectionism is the nemesis of good time management. 

If you suspect you're a perfectionist, figure out a way to moderate this behavior. If you're always trying to follow your tasks through to an unrealistic standard of perfection, you'll be spending hours on it. 

Oftentimes, what's needed is for the work to be completed, not completed to the point of being a masterwork. Sometimes, good is good enough. Stop trying to be perfect. 

14. Learn to Delegate

It can be a little unnerving to entrust one of your tasks to someone else. But if it's possible to delegate some work to a teammate, then by all means do it. 

If you offload some of your tasks to others, this will lessen your workload and allow you to concentrate on the more important tasks of the day. Start with the less important tasks, and see how the teammate does. If they do a good job, you can begin to share more important tasks. 

15. Nope Out When You Have To

There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and say "no" like you mean it. 

If you're always taking on extra work from co-workers, or fielding their requests, you won't have time to complete your work. And what response will you have when asked why you didn't finish your tasks? 

Create some boundaries, and maintain them. When your work is completed, then you can assist others. You can only do so much, and there are only so many hours in the day. 

Bonus Time Management Strategies

So those are fifteen time management ideas to help you get the job done. 

If you focus on them, you'll start to see results in managing your time. But let's look at a few bonus tips to further help you get organized: 

Bonus Tip #1: Do the Most Important Tasks in the Morning

That's right. Get the most serious chores done right away, when you've got the energy and drive to tackle them. Leave the lesser stuff for the afternoon. 

Bonus Tip #2: Don't Wait on Inspiration

Sometimes you're just not feeling it. You haven't got the divine "spark" instilled in your brain by the Nine Muses. Never mind—dive into the work and the motivation and inspiration will follow. 

Bonus Tip #3: Do Less

Understand that you can't always get everything done in a single day. Look at your list of tasks, and decide which ones are really important. Focus on fewer tasks, and do them well. 

Use These Time Management Tips to Meet Your Goals

We hope these time management strategies will help you better organize your time and achieve your daily goals. Remember, all it takes is determination and a little chutzpah. 

Are you ready to explore the many ways you can succeed in life? Go ahead and book a discovery call with Michael Morrison.  

How To Set Goals That You're Actually Going To Achieve

If you've ever set a goal in January only to fizzle out by February or March, you know that achieving goals is harder than it sounds. In fact, 80% of people fail to keep their new year's resolutions. 

But don't throw in the towel just yet. In this article, you will learn how to set goals that work. You'll understand the difference between the way you set goals in the past and the better way to do it moving forward.

Read on! 

Take a Good Long Look at Your Life

The best way to succeed in reaching your goals is to start by taking stock.

You need to evaluate where you are in life. Look at each area in your life: relationships, finances, career, health, wellness, creativity, and so on.

Be completely honest with yourself. It might help to do an assessment or write down how satisfied you are in each area on a scale of 1 to 10.

Then look over your findings. What areas need improvements? What parts of your life are you unsatisfied with?

Answering these questions will help you start from where you really are. Then, you are more like to make goals that are attainable and realistic because you aren't under delusions that will cause you to fail.

Once you have goals in place, you will be on your way to moving towards a life you love in every aspect. 

Imagine the Best Case Scenario 

Taking stock of your life can be shocking and discouraging. But don't worry. The next thing you will do is imagine an overarching vision for how you want your life to be.

Setting goals without having a clear idea of what you want your life to look like afterward makes you less likely to succeed. By cementing that vision in your mind, you know exactly what you're working towards.

Let's look at some examples. Some people set goals like go to the gym three times a week or lose 40 pounds. But that doesn't motivate you because you don't have a vision for what life will be like once you reach that goal.

Instead, imagine a life where you run a 10K race every 6 months and go for long hikes with your dog each week. Imagine that each Saturday you join other rowing enthusiasts on the lake and practice for a rowing competition.

That vision can do a lot to carry you as you force yourself to the gym three times a week. 

Consider the key areas of your life—health, relationships, finance, career, personal/ spiritual development. Then write down your vision for each category.

Put everything down! This is the time to dream big! 

Set SMART Goals

You've probably heard of SMART goals before. This acronym stands for “specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based.”

Non-smart goals are little more than wishes. "I want to lose 15 pounds or I want to earn six figures" don't tell you how you will do it or when.

Instead, a smart goal would be, I want to lose one pound a week by eating clean and exercising every day so that I can lose 15 pounds by Christmas.

A big part of how to set goals and achieve them is to break large goals into smaller pieces. When you do this, the goal is still clear yet it is also within reach. 

One pound a week feels much more manageable than 15.

Also, achieving the smaller (in this case weekly) goals gives you a confidence boost. Then you feel motivated to push forward to the next step.

If your goal is large, see if you can break it down to quarterly goals. Let's say that you want to get a better job that pays X amount by next year. 

Break that goal into quarterly items you can do. On that list might be updating your resume, taking training courses to refresh your skillset. 

Then the second quarter might include interview prep skills and practice interviews. The third and fourth quarter might include applying to jobs and expanding your network.

Once you have your quarterly goals mapped out. Break those down into weekly goals. If you want to apply to 50 jobs a quarter, you can break that down to 12 a week.

Set Goals in Writing

This is crucial when you want to learn how to set goals.

Just the act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. It also matters how you write it. 

Avoid phrases like "I will try to..." Instead, choose powerful action words like "I will..."

Put that written goal where you can see it multiple times a day. Perhaps on your bathroom mirror, or on your computer screen, or on the fridge. 

Plan Your Behavior 

Research shows that you are two or three times more likely to stick to a goal if you have a specific plan for when, where, and how you will do the behavior you want.

This ties in closely to setting SMART goals. In one study, researchers asked people to fill in this sentence: “During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE].”

What they found is that those who completed that sentence were up to three times more likely to do the exercise compared to those who set a goal but didn't make specific plans.

In psychology, these plans are called  “implementation intentions.” They outline when, where, and how you intend to implement a certain action.

You can use this technique for everything you want to change in your life. From improving your grades to being able to quit smoking.

Habit Stacking 

Another way to learn how to set goals in life is to pair your new habit with something you already do. This is called habit stacking. All you have to do is decide that you will do your new habit before or after an existing daily habit.

For example: After I pour my morning cup of coffee, I will meditate for five minutes using my meditation app.

If you are on the hunt for a better job, your habit stacking might look like this. After I come back from my lunch break, I will send out one email to someone in my network.

This is really an easy way to get into the routine of your chosen goal. If you are someone who easily forgets things, this is a great tool for you.

Also, if you are a creature of habit, you will find this technique makes it easy to start changing the way you live your life.

Habits are the little know secret for success. Fine-tune yours and watch your life change.

Align Your Goals With Your Values

This step often naturally happens after you write down your vision for each area of your life. Yet, it's worth explaining it fully.

If you set a goal that doesn't align with your core values, it will be an uphill battle each step of the way. Some people can push past that resistance and accomplish it, but many of us can't.

Also, you may not realize that this is the reason why you find it almost impossible.

Ask yourself if your goals fit into the values that you hold close. Goals that you set because you think you should won't motivate you.

It is vital that your goals line up with who you are and especially who you want to be. Perhaps you want to be a great leader because of the powerful effect leaders have had on your life. 

Remember, goal setting is so personal. Goals aren't just something that can be borrowed or passed around from friends and family members.

You have to set goals that work for you.  

Make Sure You Have a Floor

Most people when setting goals are very clear about what they want to accomplish.

But what about when you have a terrible cold or a migraine? What about the days when your kids are acting out and so you have a bad sleep? What happens when you are on a family road trip or on a business trip?

Real life happens. It's not always easy to reach the goal when life gets in the way.

But instead of feeling like a failure or giving up, there is a perfect solution.

When you set a goal, consider that your ceiling.

For example, go for a 5-mile run every day. Great, that's your ceiling. Now you need a floor. 

The floor is the bare minimum that you could do even if everything conspires against you such as in the examples above.

If your kids are sick and you are on vacation and you have a headache - what is possible and doable on that day? Probably you can't run 5 miles that day.

But can you speed walk around your block? Or can you lace up your running shoes and at least jog to the mailbox and back?

The floor will be different for everyone. But it is what you know you can do no matter what.

Then, try to get those 5 miles whenever possible. But on days when it just isn't possible, you do your floor. 

Having a floor means you didn't fail and you are still working towards your end goal.

How to Set Goals That Work 

There you have it! A detailed guide on how to set goals that work.

We hope that this article has given you the confidence to know that it is possible to achieve your goals. It is possible to change your life.

Now you know how.

Are you ready to explore what possibilities are out there for you? Book a discovery call with Michael Morrison today. 

How to Become a Great Leader That People Want to Follow

There is a 93% chance that your team would rate you in the bottom 10th percent of productivity in the office. That is if you're an uninspiring leader.

If you want to know where you stand in your office, you need to know how to be a great leader. You can learn everything you need to know about how to become a great leader by reading this article.

Avoid being an uninspiring, unproductive leader by taking all of our practices back to the office. Your employees will be beyond excited, and you'll be more respected than ever.

1. Start With Understanding Yourself

Before you start making the necessary changes for yourself and your team, you need to understand how you fit in the team. In other words, you need to understand your personality.

You may be wondering how you could understand yourself any better than you already do. However, you may be surprised to hear the results of a leadership personality test. Many people who do choose to take personality tests end up with a different result than they were initially expecting.

Once you take a personality test or two, you can truly understand how you handle different situations in the office. From this, you can change your outlook and allocate responsibilities equally and equitably.

You may be a communicator who thought they were a problem-solver. In this example, you may begin giving problems to others and taking on communication tasks for yourself.

Having your employees take these examinations can help you know which tasks would be best given to whom.

2. Gather Everyone and Ask For Ideas

You should always encourage your staff to be creative and open with their ideas. After you have taken those personality assessments, you can better decide where your help is most needed.

However, you need to see where people want your help first. Ask your employees how their current projects are doing and how you can help support them in completing those projects.

You should also make sure to ask for everyone's input in what your company has done so far. Ask if there are things they'd like to add or get rid of. If they do have great ideas, credit them with those ideas, and ask if they would like to take over approved projects by themselves.

Make sure that you're leading your staff towards creative, effective solutions that would lead to great outcomes for your company.

3. Do the Work Yourself

Stop sending your employees off to do everything for themselves. You should encourage hard work, but you shouldn't use your employees to avoid doing the work yourself.

Make sure that you're holding yourself accountable and completing just as much work as everyone else in the office. If your position is managerial or supervisory, make sure that you're diving into your work. Your main responsibility may be organizing employees, but you should make sure that you're doing more than organizing them into spreadsheets.

Dive into your and your employees' work. Show them you care, and you'll earn their respect in no time.

4. Spread Positivity

If you're upset whenever you're working, your employees will be able to tell. Show that you're excited about the work you and your team are doing.

If you aren't positive or happy about your job, you should ask yourself how you can change this. Do you need a company retreat, casual Fridays, or something else to make work more bearable?

Check-in on your employees periodically and make sure they're happy with what they're doing. If they aren't happy, experiment with how you can change their working environment to please their needs.

Your workers need a break from time to time. Turn your office into a place of growth, positivity, and empowerment.

5. Communicate Always

You may have heard that communication is the key to success. This is 100% true.

No one wants to work with or for someone who doesn't communicate. As a leader, you need to show others that you are clear and concise in your communication. Otherwise, you may not earn the respect that you're looking for.

The best thing that you can do is send out a regular form of communication regularly. We suggest checking in with your team at least once a day.

You may only need to send one mass email a week, but you should still make sure you're checking outside of that email. If you work in an office, take time to walk around and ask how everyone is doing with their current assignment(s).

If you want to know how much communicating you need to do, try this repetitive trick:

1. Tell your audience what you want to tell them.

2. Remind them what you told them.

3. Ask them what they heard.

4. Tell them again.

This style of speaking is repetitive but effective.

6. Don't Forget to Listen

While you're doing all of this communicating, you need to be listening too. Those you're leading don't want to feel like they're simply being spoken to. They need a leader that will listen.

If you aren't listening, you'll miss out on hearing if they need your help with something or have a complaint. Therefore, you'll miss out on things that you could improve.

You could also miss out on hearing any ideas that others have. If you're ignoring these, you will come off as rude.

The bottom line is that you cannot be an effective leader if the only person you're hearing is yourself.

By listening to others, you'll learn how you can improve and help solve difficult situations. This will reduce work-related stress. If you're a leader in a work environment, this could make a huge difference in how much progress you make.

Keep your ears open for new ideas and difficult challenges. You never know what you could pick up by simply hearing what others have to say.

7. Encourage Participation

A leader is supposed to bring people together. To do this, you have to encourage participation from those you're leading.

If you can't bring people together, then you can't lead a group.

By encouraging participation, you'll have a great team that will get tons of work done quickly and efficiently. You don't want anyone left out of the working team.

You may have people that don't want to participate with the rest of the team. You need to talk to these individuals and figure out why they don't want to be a part of the team. They could not get along with others or simply be lazy.

You can't fix laziness, but you can change their tasks to something more enjoyable and exciting for them personally. If nothing seems to be working, that person may not be a good fit for the team.

The best way to bring the team together is to give everyone a personalized part on the team.

8. Recognize Hard Work

You've established yourself as a leader in your group. You have all of your team members specialized where they work best. You're communicating, listening, and working hard.

However, you're still missing something very important if this is all you do.

You need to recognize everyone's hard work and give those hard workers recognition. You may want to consider having a built-in rewards system for your team so that they will be more likely to complete tasks and work harder.

You should also consider that some employees prefer to be given praise in different ways. Some may like public praise, while others want to be praised in private. Some prefer physical gifts, while others prefer non-tangible ones.

You may want to ask what your team members' preferences are before beginning a project. This way, you're showing them that you want to praise them as is comfortable and best for them.

It will also save an embarrassing moment for a shy team member who may be praised in front of the whole group.

9. Keep Trying New Things

You never want to get bored with doing the same old thing every time you go to do a project with your team. You need to keep trying new approaches to see how you like different styles.

You may find that you like a style of leadership and progress that you have never previously tried.

Keep your team in the loop as well. Ask them if they have any ideas for new things to try. One of them may have the best idea you've ever heard. They just need a chance to share it with you.

By staying relevant, you're keeping your team upbeat and excited about everything to come. A boring routine will only give you the label of an uninspiring leader.

10. Count On Us

If you're leading a small business, you should be relying on us for all of your coaching needs. Our team will constantly remind you of these and more techniques on how to become a great leader.

If you haven't worked with us or any business coach in the past, schedule a discovery call today. Running a business is no different than a sport or an academic subject. You need a coach or a tutor to look at what you're doing and help you improve your strategy.

How To Get More Done: 3 Daily Habits To Be More Productive

Stop reading personal development books! 

Most of us know what to do; we do not do them because it is too much effort to take action on the tasks we have learned. Or, what we learned does not seem applicable in our situation. We then pick up another bestseller, hoping there is a more straightforward solution.

Yes, procrastination is also to blame. Most people procrastinate because they are afraid of the possible outcome, failure. Others procrastinate because they don't like change; the task is too hard, confused about how to tackle it, overwhelmed, lacking clarity, or are distracted easily.

If you can identify with any of these, I've got three simple habits I use every day to get me closer to my goals, move the needle, and get more done.

Increase productivity and become highly efficient with these daily habits.

Use A Notepad

You are more likely to get things done when you write things down—personal and business.

Carry your notepad everywhere; in the car, by your nightstand, on your desk, in a meeting. Everywhere!

Ever been driving in the car and remember you need to pick up dry cleaning by five? Write it down when you are stopped. Ever been in a meeting and someone mentions something that reminds you of something you need to do when you get back to the office or home? Write it down. Ever woke up in the middle of the night with a life-changing idea? Write it down.

Ever been daydreaming by the pool, and remember you need to plan that particular party for next week or next month? Write it down.

Our brains are distracted every second, with songs, advertising, social media, conversations. It isn't easy to remember everything we need to do.

Your notepad will be your brain dump so that you can continue to focus on the task at hand but not forget what you need to do later. Use the notepad for business and personal responsibilities. Carry it with you everywhere; you can continuously prioritize what is most important to tackle before days end.

Review your notepad frequently throughout the day, crossing off completed tasks and prioritizing the uncompleted tasks so that you are more productive and get more things done.

Time Block

It takes an average of 20 minutes to focus on the tasks at hand to be productive. Each time a distraction occurs, it takes 20 minutes to re-engage with your productivity. 

The human brain can focus on two-hour durations. 

Block out 60-minute intervals each day with no distractions. Start with one hour, and once you see the benefit of getting more done, add another hour.

Turn off the cell phone, silent email alerts, close the door, turn off social media, and any other possible distraction to be more productive.

Focus On Systems, Not The Goals

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day." - Jim Rhone

Goals are essential for success. But, they should not be the primary focus.

Focus on the day to day tasks that must be executed for the goal.

Focusing on the goal is a distraction. Focusing on the daily disciplines is what accomplishes the objectives.

If your goal is to lose 15 pounds, focus only on the 1,500 calories each day. You will get there with this system.

If your goal is to close $150,000 in sales, determine how many qualified leads need to be reached each day. You will get there with this system.

If your goal is to write a book, determine how many words need to be typed each day. You will get there with this system.

Conclusion: How To Be More Productive

Start with these simple daily habits.

1. Use A notepad

2. Time block

3. Focus on systems, not the goals

Click here if you are ready to "Get Serious" and take your productivity to the next level!

The Golden Rule For Making Business Decisions During A Crisis

On January 24, 1848, a man by the name of James W. Marshall accidentally found gold on his property in the Sacramento area of California. The city was desolate at the time, but gold has value, so the news quickly spread like wildfire. 

In the next few years, hundreds of thousands of gold-seekers rapidly traveled to the area seeking to get rich quickly. Quickly, the area was overpopulated with so many people that chaos and corruption, like gambling, prostitution, and other forms of violence to the area, created a regional crisis. 

This time in history is known as "The Gold Rush of 1849." The migrants traveling to the area by horseback and covered wagons which were eager to become rich became to be known as '49ers, named for the year they began to arrive.

History is invaluable for learning purposes, and "The Gold Rush of 1849" is no exception. This history lesson reaffirms that when there is an opportunity to get rich quickly, the number of those looking to take advantage of other's success drastically increases, resulting in chaos and crisis.

A crisis creates uncharted waters. History lessons from the "Gold Rush of 1849" are essential to learning how to move forward in times of crisis so that we are making smart decisions as small business owners.

Trying to navigate through uncharted waters as a small business can always be challenging. In uncharted water, small business owners should be alert. 

Currently, the uncharted crisis that most everyone around the world is attempting to navigate through is COVID-19, a virus that has no cure, and that is life-threatening. The virus has shut down the global economy around the world. 

There is still a lot of uncertainty about the virus, and presently, there is not a timeline of when the pandemic will let up. Businesses are shutting down in high numbers, people are ordered to stay at home, countries are collapsing, unemployment numbers are skyrocketing, and people are dying.

So, what is the golden rule this history lesson can teach small business owners?

To slow down! Or, more chaos and crisis will prevail just as it did in 1849 when the area became overpopulated with immigrants looking to get rich.

Yes, leaders should indeed be able to make swift and decisive decisions.

But, recognizing that the number of those looking to take advantage of others during a crisis, those who see a golden opportunity like the "Gold Rush of 1849", those looking to get rich quickly by scamming others, increases significantly. So, do not panic and make haste decisions, slow down.

In times of an extreme crisis, good or bad, there will always be a large number of people and businesses moving in to get rich quick, no matter the cost. The best way to avoid getting burned by the influx of getting rich quick schemes is to slow down and do your due diligence.

A crisis is an extended period of time of intense difficulty. So, when navigating through a crisis, research your options, and do your due diligence. Yes, business owners need to make swift and decisive decisions, but you have time in a crisis. Because in most disasters, there is not an overnight fix to navigate to the other side of the crisis. 

If a business is at the point, they need an overnight fix; they more than likely have more significant issues than the crisis itself.

There is not a guaranteed overnight solution. Scammers look to take advantage during a crisis and will typically make extreme promises to lure their victims. 

The status quo and overnight guarantees typically do not stand the test of time and, in the future, often lead to more chaos and crisis of a different kind. The best solutions to overcome a crisis and make sound business decisions are to slow down, do your due diligence, and make incremental changes that will add up over time.

In Times of Crisis, A Business Must Have A Plan

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." - Benjamin Franklin

The Covid-19 virus has certainly caused disruption and desperation, affecting most if not everyone around the world. At this moment, most small business owners are desperately trying to figure out what to do next. Many consumers are trying to figure out how they are going to pay bills in the future.

Like most, I have never experienced anything like this in my lifetime. Like most, I try to spread encouragement and inspiration. Like most, I try to help guide and inspire others with my knowledge and experience to help others who are desperately looking for solutions. 

Right now, small business owners would fit that category. And although my small business coaching services are primarily for small business owners, they are also applicable to most leaders, executives, and company culture builders.

Realizing, most of us do not have time to read a lengthy article, let's get to the meat of the subject.

In times of crisis, time is of the essence.

In times of crisis, time is of the essence to make a plan.

A crisis plan is not the same as a typical business plan. A business plan is more about purpose, mission, and vision in a stable economy. A crisis plan is more about prioritizing areas that can help a business navigate through uncharted waters.

A crisis plan addresses areas of your business that affect your outcomes like profitability and the ability to operate in the future.

Realizing that every business is in a different season of vulnerability, the areas addressed may or may not make sense for your business or apply to your business at this time of crisis. 

As a small business coach and marketing professional, I must also state this is not a public relations management crisis plan. This plan is to help guide and direct management to effectively recognize strengths and weaknesses to help navigate your business to the other side of the crisis.

Here are some areas to consider for a crisis plan:

• Action Plan - high, medium, and low priorities

• Innovation Assessment - opportunities thinking outside the box

• Cash is King - catch up invoicing, collections, etc.

• Purchasing - eliminate unnecessary costs

• Vulnerability Assessment - weak areas

• Telecommuting - equipment, systems, processes, compliance

• Systems & Processes - rethinking status quo

• Communications - team leaders and staff

• Contact list - for quick distribution

• Designated chain of command

• Forecasting - cash flow for riding out the storm

• and many more depending on the current state of your business.

If you already have a plan, congratulations! You are ahead of most small businesses. If you would like another set of eyes to review, I would be happy to help you.

If you do not have a plan and would like assistance, I would be happy to help you.

You may reach out to michael@michaeldmorrison.com.

Addressing Today's Crisis As A Business Owner. What To Do?

Today, many businesses are at a standstill because most of the U.S.A. is on pause with some suggested or required lockdown due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. Many business owners have been forced to shut down all operations with no window in sight for re-opening. Future cash flow has come to a halt. Yet, the liabilities have not. So, as a business owner, what should you do?

Well, when I begin to work with a business, I look for areas that are holding a company back. More times than not, these weak areas are typically a result of the lack of direction and clarity and some form of procrastination. So, in this unknown amount of downtime, the first step to making it out on the other side is to commit to doing something. Anything! And do it now.

Do not wait! Time and time again, history has proven that business leaders who work on their business and not in their business in a downturn generally thrive when things turn around.

Immediately, start making a categorized list of everything you can do right now to work on your business. Categorize your list as High Impact, Medium Impact, Low Impact.

A sample of ideas for each are:

High Impact - Discover an innovative way of continuing to do business right now, enquire about SBA Loan, forecast cash outflows/inflows, catch up on invoicing, catch up on providing estimates, organize your workspace for more efficient production moving forward, etc.

Medium Impact - Find apps or platforms that will make your job more efficient in the future, finish that course you signed up for and never completed, create your buyer persona and marketing plan for the future, re-evaluate your expenses and cut your unnecessary costs like those online subscriptions you never use, etc.

Low Impact - Create better systems and processes for smoother operations, create retention programs for returning clients, re-evaluate hiring/onboarding processes, re-evaluate the profitability of your products and services, etc.

Of course, these areas and action items will vary for each business, depending on what season your business is in or how strong it was before the downturn.

The critical thing is to do something now and not nothing at all. Create a list, prioritize it, then take action. Now!

If you feel like this is a daunting task and do not know where to start, I would be happy to help you get started. Let's find a convenient time to visit over the phone or online.

Start working on your business today for success tomorrow! Reach out to me at michael@michaeldmorrison.com.

5 Stress-Reducing Strategies For Business Leaders

No matter where we live, most people are bombarded with a tsunami of marketing. Marketers everywhere are screaming for our attention. Digital marketing researchers claim we see anywhere from four to ten thousand advertisements or brands every day.

It is not a secret that marketers do their best to create a call to action. A call to action tells you what to do or gives a specific task to take right now. Our lives can become very distracted when we are told what to do subconsciously through advertisements four thousand times or more per day, as well as the hustle and bustle demands of everyday life.

Our lives can get very stressful in no time at all, with advertisers trying to get a piece of our attention. Soon, we are chasing rabbits, squirrels, or those shiny new pennies that seem to appear out of nowhere, all day, every day. It’s easy to forget what is essential, but following these five simple tips can help reduce stress in our life.

Focus On One Thing At A Time

Research has proven that the brain is incapable of keeping laser-focused on two things at once. It is time that we accept the fact that the brain cannot multitask. Those who think they are efficient multi-taskers are just master switchers who can quickly switch from task to task. 

By focusing on one thing at a time, your memory will remember more in the future, you will get more tasks completed quicker, you will be able to work smarter, and you will make better decisions. The rewards for focusing on one thing at a time? Less stress and a quicker satisfaction of accomplishment.

Establish A Routine

Successful business leaders are adamant about having structured routines. Knowing in advance the tasks you need to accomplish is vital to your overall well-being. There is nothing more stressful than having a bucket list of things to do and not knowing where to start.

As well, a solid routine can help you in other areas such as: building good habits and breaking bad habits, motivation, momentum, efficiency, reducing procrastination, eliminating distractions, feeling of accomplishment, personal development, consistency, regularity, and most importantly, your success as a business leader.

Organize Your Life

Disorganization is one of the biggest stress triggers. It becomes frustrating and stressful very quickly when we cannot find something that we need right now. More times than not, the reason we need something right now is that we are behind schedule. The culprit for all of this? Disorganization

To stay motivated, we all need some control in our life. Being organized and knowing where things are can help with that sense of control. Organizing our work area and home are great places to start, but many fail to organize their life.

Setting routines, reducing our commitments by learning to say no, and learning to delegate are just a few areas that could reduce our stress level in life if well organized.

Write It Down

The brain is a mighty processor of information. Research has estimated that the whole brain processes 400 billion bits of information every second. The human brain has 10 billion neurons transmitting data to other cells. Your mind has 10 trillion synapses that this information travels over. And, our mind never sleeps. Your brain never stops processing, nor does it ever stop growing.  

With all this processing going on, it is impossible to hold too many thoughts in your head at once. Your brain works mysteriously. It’s a wonder how it remembers anything at all with as much as it is processing for survival.

Ever had one of those “spectacular” ideas that pop in your brain out of nowhere. One of those ideas that is so good you will never forget? And then not even ten minutes later, well, you forget. It happens, and now you know why.

The process of knowing something and trying to remember it can add levels of stress. You know that thought was right there, and you use so much energy, not just trying to remember what it was but also why or how you forgot it.

For this reason, enter the pencil and paper. Better yet, a journal. Ask Richard Branson one of the keys to his success, and he will proudly tell you, his journal. He carries it with him everywhere he goes. And he writes every thought, comment, or bright idea moment down. He has credited some of his best successes to looking back through his journal.

Writing things down is easy. Remembering to write it down is the hard part.

Learn To Say “NO”

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffet

Is your schedule crammed full of appointments, family obligations, to-do lists, and honey-do chores? Then learn to say no like Warren Buffet and many other successful business leaders.

Their reasoning? They know that everyone has the same amount of time in the day. They also know that no one can add more time to their day just because they overcommitted. They fulfill their agenda first to accomplish their top priorities, and then they prioritize other requests.

Learning to say no can be challenging to say, but saying yes isn’t healthy. Saying yes can leave you overcommitted and put your body under too much stress. Leaving you run down and susceptible to illness.

Decide what matters most, and it will be easier to say no. Without having clarity with what is most important, you are more apt to say yes.

Closing

Stress is a significant health issue for many people. The symptoms of anxiety can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and numerous other areas of your body. To significantly reduce stress in your life, make a plan, follow a routine, organize your life, write things down, and learn to say no.

3 Critical Things All Great Leaders Do To Earn Respect

Great organizational teams are a result of exceptional leaders. It may be true that good leaders are born with prevailing leadership characteristics, but extraordinary leaders are not born, they are the product of constant learning, discipline, and humility. Exceptional leadership is what separates excellent companies from average companies.

There are countless books, articles, and blogs on leadership. Experts in leadership have numerous principles required for leading a team to greatness. Which policies work best for your organization will depend on the culture of your company.

Here are three key things that all great leaders do, no matter the circumstances of their culture or team.

 Never Complain Or Criticize

Growing up, we all heard those infamous words, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." We've listened to these words not just once or twice, but numerous times throughout our childhood. We've heard them so often that it should be as easy as walking and chewing gum at the same time.

Yet, for most, it is easier and faster to complain and criticize, rather than to find a solution. Finding a solution takes time and energy, which most of us don't have enough of in the first place.

Constant complaining and criticizing will earn you the "that person" title. We all know them. We've all been around them. We have all probably worked for one. You know, "that person" who no one wants to be around because they are consistently negative, complaining, and criticizing others. You know, "that person" who is continually talking about others in a demeaning or passive-aggressive way.

It's unfortunate that, in most cases, "that person" never changes. It's almost like it is in their DNA as if they are on this earth for the primary reason of showing us how miserable life really could be. As a leader, you do not want to be "that person!"

To some degree or another, we all complain or criticize from time to time. It is human nature. Although we should always try, we cannot control our emotions 100% of the time. When we have had a bad day, sometimes, we just need to vent. As a leader, we need to be aware of our audience. It should never be in front of our employees.

When is it not okay to complain or criticize? Always! Leaders are at a higher standard. Leaders need to be "that person." No, not the "that person" that no one wants to be around, but "that person" who everyone wants to be around. "That person" who does no wrong, "that person" who always has the solution and "that person" who is a confidant. You will not be a successful leader if you say anything negative about another employee. You will lose all trust with employees.

If you want to lose the trust and respect from those around you immediately, complaining and criticizing will do the trick. Not only will you become "that person" who no one wants to be around, but you will also bring your colleagues down, annoy and depress those around you, drain everyone's energy, and, most importantly, create counter-productivity. You should be building everyone up, not talking negatively, and bringing them down.

Never complain or unfairly criticize when you are in a leadership role. A golden rule of effective leadership is learning when and when not to open your mouth. There is a fine line of saying too much and not saying enough.

  If You Are Wrong, Admit It And Apologize

Let's get one thing clear here; if you can read this, you are a human with a drive to learn before you earn. All humans, not just some, make mistakes. Knowing this, admitting to an error should be easy to do, but the reality is that it's much easier said than done. 

Ego and arrogance are the biggest obstacles we must overcome as leaders to begin admitting our wrongdoings. Unfortunately, there are far more leaders who possess extreme pride rather than humility. Arrogant and egotistical leaders believe admitting their mistakes reflects a sign of weakness. It indicates just the opposite. Nothing displays a stronger character or reaps more amounts of respect than someone who can confront their mistakes, head-on, and apologize for them. But, it is hard to convince arrogant types of people because typically, their self-esteem is low. Even though they should show employees a different side, they don't know how or don't want to.

Now, I've been around quite a few of these types of people, and it is not pleasant. Their insecurities are so deep within that they have no other way to feel good about themselves, other than to push people around. It does not matter what advice you give, these types of people are going to throw their weight around, and the last thing they would ever do is admit when they were wrong.

The leadership principle of admitting mistakes and apologizing is not for the weak. The greatest leaders always admit their mistakes, apologize, and apologize swiftly. They are leaving no doubt within their team that they were wrong, learning from it and moving on to greener pastures.

When business owners and company managers fail to own up to their mistakes and push all of the blame onto their employees or colleagues, the team surrounding them always notices. They are aware of each attempt by their boss to cover the truth or refuse to apologize. There is nothing more devastating to a team than a dishonest leader. The immediate consequences of such behavior are for the best employees in the organization to seek opportunities elsewhere. The people a company can't afford to lose will be the first ones to go.

To grow as a leader, be humble, quickly admit to mistakes, and apologize immediately. Saying you were wrong and apologizing is not a liability. Assuming you were wrong and apologizing builds your credibility and the trust that employees will place in you. Extraordinary people want to follow exceptional, credible leaders.

  Empower Your Team

What separates average leaders from exceptional leaders is the ability to empower those around them. Many leaders confidently say they practice this leadership principle within their organization. Let's look at Merriam-Webster's official definition of the word empower.

Empower:

-     to give official authority or legal power to

-     to enable

-     to promote the self-actualization or influence of or influence of

To give official authority? Legal power? Enable? Promote? Whoa!

It would be in everyone's best interest if every individual in a leadership role were required to read, dissect, and truly understand the definition of empowering. Most leaders claim to empower their people, but most leaders do the opposite and exert their power over people. I am not saying that you should give legal authority to your employees, but you have to enable them and appreciate them openly for what they do.

I often hear individuals in a leadership role asked the question, "What do you contribute to your organization's success to?" The response used too often is usually, "Our people. Our people make this organization great. We EMPOWER our people." This response goes all over me and crawls way beneath my skin because we all know from experience that there are very few organizations that truly empower their people. Proclaiming empowerment, rather than practicing empowerment, is rampant in today's work culture.

There is a company that I happen to know that the word empower is used in its mission, vision, and culture statements. Self-proclamations were so prominent that their entire staff and all of their clients could see. Yet I witnessed the head manager ask the leaders of the company if they could post a sign telling semi-truck drivers that they could not drive behind the building for safety reasons.

Are they empowered? Really? Your lead manager needs to ask if they can post a sign warning truck drivers not to go past this point. Indeed this company has not authorized its employees.

Unfortunately, many organizations think they are empowering their team, but they do not understand the true meaning of empowerment. Truly understanding what it means to empower others and fully implementing this leadership principle is what separates the exceptional organizations from the average.

 To be an exceptional leader, you must fully, not partially, empower your people.

 Closing

Great leaders regularly invest in continued personal development that educates on how to be an exceptional leader. Exceptional leaders know that a leader is just that, a leader, not a boss.

Learn Before You Earn And 3 Reasons Why

It is nearly impossible to build an automobile engine if you do not know how to make an automobile engine. It is almost impossible to perform open-heart surgery if you do not know how to perform open-heart surgery. It is nearly impossible to be a multi-millionaire if you do not know how to be a multi-millionaire.

It is nearly impossible to be successful at anything unless you first learn what it is you want to be successful in doing. You must learn before you earn. Learning always comes before Earning, and the only scenario this does not apply is in the dictionary alphabetically. You must also understand three reasons why learning before earning is the key to your success.

 Others Will Define You If You Don’t

The Merriam-Webster definition of define is: to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of. What defines you? Better yet, who defines you?

It is human nature that we categorize, label, or define those around us by classifying people as rich, poor, smart, challenged, weak, strong, successful, struggling, big, little, blue-collar, white-collar and so on. We are all guilty of it from time to time because we are human. We define others, and the flip side to that is, others define us. Refusing to believe that your peers have defined you would be doing yourself a great disservice, trust me, you have been defined.

Unfortunately, many of us begin to believe our capabilities are limited to what others have defined or decided about us. If those around us do not think we are creative, then our internal creative process becomes limited because we do not believe we have it within ourselves. We believe what others have led us to think because we have no other affirmation, nothing telling us any differently.

Growing up, I experienced this type of definement first hand. Early on in my childhood, several teachers shared concerns with my parents because they noticed a timid, quiet behavior from me. They suggested to my parents that maybe some therapy would be good. The therapist I went to asked me to draw my family. I am the literal type, so I drew my family, which consisted of a father, mother, and two brothers. In front of my parents, the therapist asked if I had finished drawing, and I confidently said yes. He wondered why I was not in the picture, and I told him because you asked me to draw my family. I drew all of them. He did not say your family and you. 

The therapist defined my behavior as a lack of self-esteem. And from that point forward, guess what, I had a lack of self-confidence. It was not until I decided that only I could define myself, that things started to change for me. I researched and learned the things I wanted to be, and that made me more confident. I had to teach myself the things that I wanted to know in order to be successful. And you have to do the same. 

Truth be told, my quiet and timid behavior had nothing to do with self-esteem in the beginning. To this day, I absorb everything around me quietly. I study people and read people. This behavior, and asset, has served me well in all of my many ventures.  

It is vital that you learn and genuinely know how you want to be defined. If you do not, others will do it for you. And I can assure you they will limit your full potential. You have to define yourself. No one believes more in you than you do! Once you know and understand this, it can be one of your most excellent tools.

 Emotions Do Not Make Good Decisions

This past year I had a significant, life-changing career decision to make. I struggled daily, leaning from one choice to the other. It drove me insane for months because, within twenty-four hours of making a decision, my emotions would change so drastically. Hours of research on the internet could not even help me make a firm decision on this one.

A book by Andy Stanley, “Ask It,” put it all in perspective. His book claims there is one question that will revolutionize how you make decisions. His claim is accurate. As I finished reading the last page of his book, immediately, my life-changing career decision was made. 

The question you ask? Don’t read the next sentence if you don’t want a spoiler. The question he proposes is, “In light of your past experiences, current circumstances, and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for you to do in order to avoid regret in this area of life?”

It quickly dawned on me why I had been on both sides of the fence for so long. Before reading this book, my decision-making process was based purely on my current emotions. The emotions I was presented and processing with each day. This life-changing question solely based on facts and not feelings. I am not saying you should make unwise decisions based on the opposite of regret, but don’t hesitate to do something out of fear of failure. Moving forward, when you solely base your learning and decisions on facts and not emotions, you will be successful.

What does this have anything to do with first learning to earn, you ask? So many people have no clarity in what they need to do to reach their full potential. They wake up every day and let the day’s emotions decide their actions and tasks. They don’t know what they don’t know. Successful people know what they are going to do before their eyes open every morning. They do this by learning facts that provide clarity in their decision-making process, leaving the emotions out of it. Emotions can build a business as quickly as they can tear it down. Knowing when feelings should be followed is the key to success. Be emotional about what you are passionate about. The actual business decisions shouldn’t have emotion involved.

 You Will Earn Only As Much As You Want To Learn

Ever heard someone say I wish I could sing? Or, I wish I could draw? Or, I wish I could get a better paying job? Or, I wish… Yeah, me too. Well, let me tell you something. They are full of that dark stuff that comes out the back end of most mammals.

If someone truly wants to sing, they will invest their money and time by finding a vocalist to teach them to sing. Or if they want to be an artist for a career, they will spend their time and resources at their local college. If they genuinely wanted to get a better paying job, they would invest their time and resources in changing their career path.

Yes, you must indeed learn before you earn. But, you will only earn what you are willing to invest in yourself and nothing more. If you are questioning whether you really want to be a millionaire, you will know the answer quickly by how much time and resources you invest in learning to be a millionaire.

If you want to be a millionaire, learn how to be a millionaire before you earn it, or you will fail. Lottery winners prove this point time and time again. They win a vast multi-million-dollar fortune and lose it all within a short period because they never took the time to learn how to be wealthy.

Closing

Define yourself based on facts and not emotions. Only learn what you are willing to invest, and your return will be rewarded in abundance. Life is short; don’t wait to learn! Start today. Do today what others won’t. So tomorrow, you can do what others can’t!

And if you have a skill set others could learn from, write a book so they can learn before they earn. Learn why by clicking here to watch my video.

3 Simple Steps To Crush It In The New Year

No matter where or when you were born, we all entered this world in the same way, naked and uneducated. Each of us had a unique childhood, and through childhood, most of us were under the guidance of another human being. Growing up, those around us influence our thoughts and beliefs.

Most of us did not get a choice of who we wanted to become due to rearing by a caretaker, influencer, demographics, geographics, or activities that went on around us. Many blame current problems on past situations. 

Well, that was the past, and this is the present. Now, you are responsible for you. No one is keeping you from achieving your wildest dreams, but you. Now is when you strip yourself from your past. You are not what you were born into; you are not under guidance anymore. You make choices every day that are impacting your future. Most of us enjoy our independence, but we still need direction and some accountability. It is ironic how we all came into this world the same, yet when we leave this world, our achievements, self-worth, and sense of accomplishment will differ vastly. Are you going to leave this world crushing it, or not?

Here are three simple steps to help you crush it in the New Year so that you can live to your fullest potential.

Get Serious

Life is a serious business. We only get one shot.

When working with individuals in their golden years, I often hear the common phrase, I wish. I wish I would have done this; I wish I would have done that. This reflection is a reflection of regret. Regrets that they did not fulfill their passions.

Each day that passes, all of us are getting another day closer to our golden years. We will not physically be able to do the things that we can do today. Like most, we will have a lot of time on our hands to reflect. 

When we get to that stage in life, we will be reflecting in one of two ways. One, what a beautiful life I've lived. Everything I wanted to do, I did. I cannot imagine changing anything.

Or, two, a regret. I wish I would have started this or done that. I wish I would have gone here or seen this. I wish I would have been kinder to my spouse so that he/she would not have left me, because it sure is lonely living these last years on earth alone.

We have a short amount of time on this earth. The moment we are born, we begin to die. Get serious about today because tomorrow will be here before you know it.

Make A Plan, With A Strong Why

A critical part of this process is also figuring out a reason to carry out the plan and figuring out why you are going to stick to the idea. Bypassing this step is the number one reason why most people fail to accomplish their goals. New Year's resolutions are a prime example of failed accomplishments.

Only 8% of people are ever successful at achieving their New Year's resolutions. That is less than 1 out of every 10 people. The reason? There is not a strong enough "why" to fulfill these goals.

The number one New Year's resolution year in and year out is to lose weight. Now, if less than one out of every ten people ever achieve their resolution, how high do you think this percentage would rise if we added a strong enough why? What if your doctor had a crystal ball and told you today that if you do not lose 30 pounds that you will die of a cardiac arrest in 90 days? And that you would never see the children or spouse that you love so dearly ever again. Think the percentage of achievement and the drive would increase?

The "why" is like the main ingredient to a recipe. If you do not have the main component of a recipe, your odds of achieving a fantastic edible meal are very slim. You can have all the ingredients of a recipe to make mouthwatering ribs. But if you do not have the ribs, then you are not going to have ribs for dinner.

Before making a goal or plan, you must figure out a strong "why." This plan of action is critical for you to discover, or you will never have the determination to carry out the hard work to achieve your goals.

Take Action

The late Jim Rhone, a personal development speaker, describes success like this, "Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines (actions), practiced every day."

That sounds simple, right? Easy to say, easy to understand, right? Most successful people say the only thing that separates them from others is that they took action. Everyone knows what to do, but most don't do it. You have to take action in your life today that will impact your tomorrow. Think about where you would be in a year if you took steps every day and build on them each week or month. Start small or start big, just start.

Actions take time. The more you repeat an action, the more natural it becomes. It is an ongoing process. Actions require repeated efforts until they become habits. And with the right habits, success follows.

The ability to drive a car is a perfect example. Most people were nervous about learning to drive for the first time. Yet, in no time at all, it becomes habitual. So routine that most everyone I know has driven past an exit or a turn they usually take and not realize it until later. We get set on autopilot and are so focused on other things that we just drive, and before we know it, end up on an old route or at an old job site.  

Changing or taking action takes time to become habitual. 

Closing

Life is a serious business! Each week passes faster than the last. 

Make a plan with a strong enough reason "why" you need to achieve this goal.

Take action! Make my mantra your mantra, "Do today what others won't. So tomorrow you can do what others can't."

You can do this!

Your Business Reputation Is On The Line! And It's Not With Your Client's!

Welcome to the Morrison Minute where we focus on personal development and business strategy. Today we're going to focus on the small business.

 If you were to ask most business owners to prioritize employees, vendors, and clients, most business owners would say clients first. And, although clients bring in sales and they are important to the growth of the company, they're not your number one asset.

 In my opinion, the employees are. Because if you don't have great employees, you don't have customers. They're not going to stick around.

 But what's more important than that, is venders. Vendors can destroy your reputation. Customers are transactional. You provide a service; they pay the bill. You provide bad service; they provide a bad review. You refund the money and they move on.

 Venders know your deepest darkest secrets! They know if you pay on time. They know their experience of when they deliver products to your business to resell, how they were treated when they went to the dock. They know just about every mmm… from one end of your building to the other. Let me give you an example of another way that vendors can destroy your reputation.

 I had a prospective client that hired me for coaching services, and we were to meet once, once, a week for an hour. On the first visit, I drove 45 minutes from my office to meet there. I texted him and let him know that I was there. And right when we were supposed to begin, he texted me back saying, “I thought that was tomorrow.” Okay, my bad.

 The next week I called him, actually, I emailed him a week in advance, confirmed. I called about three days before, confirmed. I get to the meeting place… I text him where I was located at and he never replied. I texted again, no reply. Phone call, no reply. This went on several times. and some of you may be asking, “why did you keep going back?” Well, we had a non-contractual, but a verbal agreement, that I were to provide services for a certain dollar amount. I wanted to hold up my end of the bargain. I'd already committed those hour blocks to that person.

 And guess what? I now share that with other people in the industry of my experience with that person. Because I'm a vendor and if he treats me that way then he's just providing a facade to his clients or employees.

 If you’re a business owner that would like a business coach that can think outside of the box, things like this, not your typical everyday situation, let's have coffee. And if you'd like more personal development skills and more business development strategies, sign up for more Morrison Minute. I'd love to see you again!

Marketing Your Logo Could Be Costing You Future Business!

Welcome to the Morrison Minute where we focus on personal development & business mastery. Today, we're going to focus on the small business owner. You see, just the other day I was waiting at an intersection, the light was red, the windows were down, the tunes were going, and the light turned green.

 As I proceeded into the intersection, out of the corner of my left eye, I see a large service vehicle with a trailer behind it come barreling through the intersection. It's clear they ran a red light! Like most humans, I honked on my horn! Just as quick as I honk my horn, the driver of that vehicle rolls down his window and flips me, the bird!

 A friend of mine who has a lot more internet followers than I do had a similar experience. Except, he took his experience a step further. I didn't post my experience on the internet, he did. He took a picture of the vehicle that endangered his life, he said how they endangered his life, how they responded to their action, and asked people not to use that company.

 Back to the intersection I was at, there were probably a hundred or so cars waiting from all directions to get through the stop lights. And, I would venture to guess that probably half of them saw, what I saw. They saw a commercial vehicle endangering other people's lives, running a red light, and how they took ownership of their mistake by flipping others off.

 If you’re a small business owner and you’d like to visit about things like this, how we can make sure that your employees are representing your company in the most professional away. Or, maybe it's you the owner, that we need to talk about! If you're not willing to take ownership of your actions with your logo on your chest on your apparel or on your vehicles, then maybe it's time to not wear the logo.

 If you're looking for more personal development skills or business Mastery skills sign up for more Morrison Minute. I'd love to see you again!

Working "In" The Business Could Be Costing You Money!

Hi, I'm Michael Morrison! Welcome to the Morrison Minute where we focus on personal development and business coaching. Today, we're going to focus on the small business owner. Because you see, on the internet, there's this cliché - are you working “in” the business or are you working “on” the business. Let me explain.

I know of this successful printing company where there were several business owners and they had a business coach, fully staffed, sixty to seventy employees. They had positions within the company like press operator, bindery operator, IT Department, HR department, etcetera, etcetera. One day, in the business owners meeting, the coach asked each one, “what did you focus on this past week?” First business owner says, “business development.” The second business owner says, “operations.” The third one says, “well, I got stuck working in production, cutting paper.”

 You see, in the printing industry, printers print on big sheets of paper and then they get cut down to size to deliver to the customer. FYI.

 The business coach says, “what does that position, paper cutter typically pay.” The business owner says, “ooh, typically ten to fifteen dollars an hour.” The business coach jumps out of his seat and says, (knowing that this business owner, makes a business owner salary) and he says, “do you realize you are the most expensive paper cutter not just in your region but probably the world?”

 You see that's working “in” the business. Working “on” the business is growth, strategies, working on your mission, carrying out your purpose of the company, community development, connections, etcetera, etcetera.

 If you’re a small business owner stuck working “in” the business, and, you'd love to work “on” the business, let's have coffee and chat. And if you'd like more personal development skills and more business coaching skills, sign up for more Morrison Minute. I'd love to see you again!